


black & white

by MxDucktective



Series: "king and lionheart" [10]
Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, ロード・エルメロイⅡ世の事件簿 - 三田誠 | Lord El-Melloi II Case Files - Sanda Makoto
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of alcohol, Valentine's Day Fluff, Waver is tipsy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22663060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MxDucktective/pseuds/MxDucktective
Summary: "when it comes to movies, there's something uniquely familiar about black and white films."iskandar reminds lord el-melloi ii that his love could never be matched by a potion, or any sort of charm spell, for that matter.
Relationships: Iskandar | Rider/Waver Velvet
Series: "king and lionheart" [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1154876
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	black & white

**Author's Note:**

> this is basically just a transcription of one of my dreams from last week, so my apologies for the tooth-rotting fluff. happy (early) valentine's day!

When it comes to movies, there's something uniquely familiar about black and white films. 

King Iskandar of Macedonia hadn't been around during the time when movies could only be produced in monochrome, but he didn't need nostalgia to agree with such a sentiment. The advanced cinematography and brand-new computer graphics of modern movies were a spectacle to behold, but there was an element of authenticity that only black and white films could properly capture. Even if they did tend to be cheesy, their familiarity held a certain charm.

Just as there was something familiar about old films, there was also something familiar about Waver's weekday habits. Iskandar had only been summoned for a little less than a year, but he was already well-adjusted to his partner's usual routine. In the morning, Waver would need approximately fifteen minutes after waking up to get out of bed, and even then, he would hardly be awake. He would need help brushing his hair and getting dressed, and he would be grumpy about it the whole time. On good days, he could handle brushing his teeth on his own. On bad days, even that would require assistance. He never liked to eat much in the morning, usually opting for a cup of tea or coffee before heading out for the day. At noon, he would take a lunch break, and Iskandar would be knocking on his office door to deliver his first proper meal of the day, usually a sandwich from his favorite teahouse. If there were meetings to attend after classes, he wouldn't be home until after sundown. If there were papers or tests to grade after work, he would probably end up at the teahouse for hours, and Iskandar would be lucky to see him before midnight. On wonderfully rare days, Waver would return before the sky began to fade from its daytime blue to its sunset orange, and the two could share the evening together without any interruption from the outside world. 

It was one of those wonderfully rare days, and everything had been perfect. Waver had been greeted by the smell of reheated leftovers and a warm embrace as soon as he made it back to their shared apartment. Dinner was followed by a walk beneath the setting sun and a couple hours spent playing the newest fantasy RPG. They had been drinking while enjoying the game, and Waver had ended up a little tipsy. Eventually, it started to get late, and they found themselves wanting to wind down in front of the telly before bed. Neither of them cared to pay much attention to whatever was showing, but it was nice to have some background noise while they cuddled. Idly hoping for something to spark a romantic mood, Iskandar opted for the channel that only aired films from the early 1900s. Valentine's Day was just around the corner, after all, so romance films would likely be showing round-the-clock.

Letting out a deep but contented sigh, Iskandar could only think about how lucky he was to be alive to enjoy such a perfect night. Waver was nestled against his side, a tired head resting on his chest and a pair of bony legs tangled around his own. Iskandar's left arm was wrapped around the smaller man's back, and his right arm was dangling off the couch with the remote in hand. He knew that his arms would fall asleep eventually if he left them like that, but that was a problem for his future self. Right now, he was simply enjoying the moment.

The movie had already started before Iskandar tuned in, and it wasn't as though he were paying much attention, but he was able to get an idea of the basic plot. The shy secretary had a crush on one of her co-workers, but he wasn't interested in her, so she was trying to win him over with a love potion. The potion may have worked, but it was clear that things weren't going as planned, and disaster was bound to happen. It was silly, really, and not the sort of thing Iskandar had been hoping for, but he couldn't deny that he was intrigued to find out what would happen next. Before long, he found his eyes glued to the screen. The secretary was yelling at her co-worker, who was delirious under the influence of the love potion, and he was making the most ridiculous face. The acting was pretty terrible, but that made it all the more fun. All of a sudden, the secretary raised her hand to slap her co-worker, and then —

"Rider?"

Waver's voice came out odd, hanging in the air with a twinge of sadness and another unrecognizable emotion. See, it wasn't unusual for Waver to refer to his king by the name that was once most familiar to him. It happened when he was sleepy, when he was under the influence, during emotional outbursts, and especially during sex. Still, there was something different about it this time. It was as if he was nineteen again — young, vulnerable, and unsure about the world.

"Hm?"

Waver sighed and pulled away, looking down and facing the back of the couch to hide his face.

"What if… What if you were accidentally exposed to some sort of weird magecraft back then — y-you know, during the Grail War — and this was all just some sort of mistake?"

Iskandar blinked, unsure of what his partner was trying to say. 

"What if it wore off eventually? Would you even like me anymore? Would you be… upset about all the time you wasted?"

Iskandar had completely diverted his attention from the movie to the man lying beside him, but he was still utterly confused about what the latter was trying to say. There were tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes, barely visible in the light of the telly as they trailed down his cheeks. Iskandar wanted nothing more than to pull him back and kiss the tears away, but he knew that his partner sometimes needed space before affection.

"Boy, what on earth are you talking about? What sort of magecraft?"

Waver sniffled.

"Y-You know! Charm magecraft! Like a love potion!"

Iskandar blinked again, struggling to connect the dots.

"Are you implying that my feelings for you were caused by a spell?"

"It's not like that!" Waver spat out, tensing up. "It's just… It's just that I'm a sorry excuse for a partner, and I don't understand how you're still with me after all this time. There are much better things you could be doing than lying here next me." He paused to fight back tears.

"I don't deserve you. I never have."

Suddenly, it all came together in Iskandar's head. Waver's self-depreciative thoughts had a tendency to worsen under the influence of alcohol — even if he was only tipsy — and this nonsense about charm magecraft was clearly thanks to the movie's influence. All of it had resulted in a mess of self-depreciation and delusions of worst case scenarios.

This was definitely not how the King of Conquerors had hoped that movie night would go.

Dropping the remote on the floor, Iskandar rolled over in the direction of his partner and propped himself onto his right elbow. His left arm wrapped itself around Waver's stiffening body, and his palm cupped the side of Waver's face, tilting it until they were making eye contact. Waver's eyes were full of what could only be described as paranoia, and his cheeks were clammy from the tears. Waver had always been an anxious person since the day he and Iskandar met, so he was used to this sort of thing, but it still made a part of him ache.

In all his conquests, the ancient king had never wished to "fix" the world, as he did not believe the world to be in need of fixing. In the same sense, Iskandar had no desire to "fix" Waver or anything about him. Just like an ocean shore, Waver was ever-changing — yet, he was still no different from the wide-eyed boy who had summoned him over ten years ago. At times like these, it seemed as though Waver desired to "fix" the parts of himself that served as a reminder of his own past.

Iskandar could never understand that desire. To him, the past was an irreplaceable treasure. He would always move forward, regardless of what trials lay ahead, but if not for the past, there would be no steps to take. Thanks to Waver, his steps were no longer being washed away by the tides of fate for textbooks to recount. His footprints were now fresh, and they were given meaning by the pair that matched his own as they journeyed through life side-by-side.

If only Waver could see that every single one of his steps had led both of them to this very moment. Iskandar could try to explain, try to open Waver's eyes to each and every wonderful quality that defined his existence, but Waver could only see imperfection from his own perspective. Iskandar knew this, and he knew that a much needed reminder would be more effective at calming his partner's mind.

"Waver Velvet," Iskandar murmured, "No spell or potion could ever imitate the love my heart keeps for you. Only the truest could remain after death, after leaving this world and returning to it once more."

Following another spill of tears, Waver inhaled and let out a sob. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but the words refused to come. Iskandar swept the hair from Waver's face with a finger, smiling down at the latter with warmth in his eyes. It was a simple gesture, but it had all the power and intent to relieve a great swell of pressure. Eventually, Waver gave up on words and released all his tensions with a sigh, falling pliant against the couch.

"Alex…"

Unable to resist himself anymore, Iskandar lowered himself and caught Waver's trembling lips in a kiss. Waver shuddered, and Iskandar found his heart dancing with joy as Waver smiled into the kiss. Slipping his hand behind Waver's head, Iskandar pulled him closer. Only minutes ago, Waver seemed too worn out to move, but now he was wrapping his arms around his beloved king and lifting himself into the kiss. The movie playing in the background had been long forgotten, drowned out by a wave of emotional catharsis.

"Alex," Waver repeated, pulling away from the kiss with a mixed expression of happiness and guilt. "I didn't mean to sound like I doubted you. I just thought — I still can't believe that you… that you could lo… lo… love me."

"I do, and I always will," Iskandar promised. His smile was infectious, and Waver found himself smiling along before he could stop himself. The sight of his lover so rejuvenated made Iskandar laugh from what could only be described as sheer happiness. Neither of the two were quite sure what he was laughing about, but for once, Waver had no desire to complain.

"Really, boy, you get the silliest ideas in that head of yours!"

"It's not like it came from nowhere!" Waver insisted, casting a meaningful glance at the telly. "Honestly, what made you pick this rubbish? You know I hate those dating sims of yours, so why this?"

"I thought it would be more likely to make you kiss me than a documentary," Iskandar replied bluntly. His shameless confession came with a cheeky grin to match.

The professor's cheeks flushed, but his embarrassment quickly melted into the kind of confidence that only comes from flirtation.

"I would rather just watch you," Waver teased. He had switched from an emotional low to an emotional high, and the drastic change was making him much bolder than usual. Iskandar didn't mind one bit. 

Lifting his upper body forward to press himself against his king, Waver went in for another kiss. He wasn't nearly strong enough to push Iskandar off the couch, but his movements caused the larger man to lean backwards in the opposite direction. It was too late before Iskandar realized that there was nothing to lean on, and the two of them went tumbling onto the floor. Iskandar thanked his A+ rank luck that his head narrowly managed to avoid hitting the table, but his partner wasn't so lucky. As soon as the professor landed on top of him, the telly suddenly shut off, and a pained cry split through the room, which was now suddenly pitch black.

"Fuck!"

"What happened?"

"My knee hit the bloody remote!"

"It did manage to hit the power button," Iskandar chuckled.

"Idiot," Waver blurted. He tried to lean in for another kiss, but his movements were a shot in the dark, and he ended up bashing his nose against his partner's chin.

"Here," Iskandar offered, tilting Waver's chin with his finger and bringing their lips together once again.

At that moment, Waver let himself go, and Iskandar savored every bit of it. The feeling of Waver's palms cupping the sides of his face, the heat weighing on top of him along with the friction between their hips, and the softness of his lover's tongue against his own chapped lips. Each sensation was just as familiar today as it had been the day before, but it was still special every time.

There was something unique about kissing in the dark, a heightened sense of touch and a deeper element of trust. Somehow, everything felt more real, and that was exactly what Waver needed. The darkness made the world around him fade to black, but nothing had really changed. Waver found that he didn't need to see the colors surrounding him to know that they were real. Even from a monochrome perspective, love remained the same.


End file.
